Widdecombe fights back firm

Ann Widdecombe refused to water down her anti-drugs policy yesterday as she hit back at the Tory leadership, which distanced William Hague from her plans.

Angered by hostile briefings, the shadow home secretary declared that there would be "no rowing back" on her plan to impose an automatic £100 fine on anyone caught in possession of cannabis.

She predicted that her policy would be included in the Tories' manifesto for the next election and said that both Mr Hague and Michael Portillo, the shadow chancellor, had been briefed on her plans. The Tory high command was in disarray over the policy yesterday when the party chairman, Michael Ancram, appeared to be unaware of a Tory briefing note outlining the new penalty.

In an interview with ITN, he said that the Widdecombe plan would not criminalise cannabis users because the fines would be imposed in the same way as a speeding ticket. When it was pointed out that a Tory briefing paper said offenders would "receive a criminal record", he refused to be drawn. Tory sources said later that the briefing document was wrong.

The row over Ms Widdecombe's plan, which formed the centrepiece of her conference speech on Wednesday, cast a shadow over the party's final day in Bournemouth yesterday. Ms Widdecombe hit back as leadership sources distanced Mr Hague from the policy late on Wednesday night after the plans were dismissed by the police and human rights groups.

"William Hague has been aware of this policy and has cleared it," she said. "Michael Portillo was aware of the cost implications and cleared it. I do not understand where these rumours that it has not been cleared have come from."

It is understood that the first Mr Portillo knew of the £100 automatic fine was when he heard Ms Widdecombe's speech. She had cleared the general policy with him - she needed his approval to fund the extra police needed - but not spelled out all the details.

Central office sources were gleeful about the damage inflicted on Ms Widdecombe. "It is extraordinary that she should come up with such a policy without running it past the police."

Such criticism surprised Ms Widdecombe yesterday because Mr Hague's advisers were involved in promoting the policy before her speech.Mr Hague's chief spokesman, Nick Wood, briefed right-wing newspapers on the policy the night before the speech and was said to be delighted with the favourable coverage.

Speaking at a fringe meeting organised by Charter 88 and the YMCA yesterday, Ms Widdecombe said: "I would not expect one fixed penalty fine to actually prejudice someone's life."